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Niamh Daly reports on the Kerry Ladies victory over Clare in Tralee on Sunday…
Kerry 4:13
Clare 3:11
Photo: Troy O’Connell
Kerry were at home in Austin Stack Park this weekend for their round 2 Division 2 game in the Lidl National Football League against Munster rivals Clare with both teams being unbeaten in their first round.
Joint Manager Declan Quill said after the game; “We wouldn’t be very happy with the performance, we were happy with the win”.
Continued below…
With ideal conditions Kerry got off to bright start with Siofra O’Shea kicking Kerry’s first point in the opening minute.
A fumbled pass from the Clare Goalkeeper saw Megan O’Connor set up Hannah O’Donoghue for an easy finish in the back of Micaela Glynn’s net.
Clare responded well with two points and could have easily went ahead of Kerry when Clare’s Aisling Reidy ran through Kerry’s defense only to be stopped by a super save from the young talented Ciara Butler.
Clare continued to drive forward and left the Kerry side rattled with Cliona Blake kicking a point to leave Clare trailing by 1.
A free from Siofra O’Shea in the sixteenth minute saw a disappointed Kerry side lead by 2 points at the water break, leaving it 1-3 to 0-4.
Joint managers Darragh Long and Declan Quill took full advantage of the break giving their team a “stern word” to which Kerry responded well kicking four unanswered points from play from Louise Galvin, Megan O Connor, Hannah O Donoghue and Siofra O’Shea.
Ahead by 6 points in the twenty ninth minute Kerry’s defense let Clare’s Aisling Reidy run straight through them to put away a rocket shot goal to the bottom right hand corner which finished the half Kerry 1-7 Clare 1-4.
Kerry piled on the pressure from the get go and started the stronger team receiving a penalty in the first two minutes after Megan O’Connor was pulled down in the square.
Siofra O’Shea converted the rebound after a great first save by Micaela Glynn. Clare responded with a point but Kerry quickly answered with a point from play from Hannah O’Donoghue.
Just moments later the Beaufort woman passed off the ball to Siofra O’Shea who found the net for her second time of the afternoon.
The Clare side were far from finished and scored three unanswered points reducing the lead to six after ten minutes. Moments later Clare did everything right before a shot at goal was saved by Ciara Butler.
Kerry had a lot to prove and remained comfortable with another two scores from Anna Galvin and Rachel Dwyer. But Clare never gave up despite the score and again made their way through
Kerry’s back line where Cathriona Callinan scored Clare’s second goal of the match.
The side followed with another two points and just when Clare started to raise their tempo Kerry’s Loraine Scanlon silenced the Banner with a fourth goal for the Kingdom. A last minute goal from Clare’s Siofra Ni Chonnaill saw the final score Kerry 4-13 Clare 3-11.
The win for Kerry will see them face their final group game against Wexford on Sunday June 6th but Kerry Manager Declan Quill says “we will have to up our performance against Wexford next week”.
TEAMS & SCORERS
KERRY: Ciara Butler, Julie O’Sullivan, Aislinn Desmond (C), Ciara Murphy, Niamh Carmody, Cáit Lynch, Kayleigh Cronin, Louise Galvin 0-1, Megan O’Connell, Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Andrea Murphy 0-1, Emma Dineen, Megan O’Connor 0-1, Hannah O’Donoghue 1-2, Siofra O’Shea 2-4 (0-2F). Subs: Ava Doherty for Niamh Carmody, Anna Galvin 0-2 for Emma Dineen, Mary O’Connell for Megan O’Connell, Lorraine Scanlon 1-0 for Louise Galvin, Rachel Dwyer 0-2 (0-1F) for Megan O’Connor, Caoimhe Evans for Andrea Murphy, Sarah Murphy for Kayleigh Cronin, Anna Clifford for Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Niamh Kearney for Hannah O’Donoghue, Caoimhe O’Sullivan for Siofra O’Shea
CLARE: Micaela Glynn, Ellie O’Gorman, Siofra Ní Chonnaill 1-0, Orla Devitt, Caoimhe Harvey (C) 0-1, Tara Kelly, Roisin Considine 0-1, Aisling Reidy 1-2, Roisin Looney, Eimear Keane, Ciara McCarthy, Lauren Griffin, Lizzy Roche 0-2, Fidelma Marrinan 0-3 (0-1F), Cliona Blake 0-1. Subs: Chloe Moloney 0-1 for Lauren Griffen, Laura Griffey for Ciara McCarthy, Catriona Callinan 1-0 for Cliona Blake, Joanna Doohan for Roisin Looney, Carol O’Leary for Eimear Keane, Aisling Morrissey for Tara Kelly, Ailish Kenny for Lizzy Roche, Katie Connole for Fidelma Marrinan
REFEREE: Austin O’Connell (Galway)
